College Football Blitz, Week 12: Louisville losses, Colorado can play
By John Buhler
![Nov 17, 2016; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Cougars defensive tackle Ed Oliver (10) celebrates after a play during the third quarter against the Louisville Cardinals at TDECU Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports Nov 17, 2016; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Cougars defensive tackle Ed Oliver (10) celebrates after a play during the third quarter against the Louisville Cardinals at TDECU Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/shape/cover/sport/7844dd24887b27e48bb82955c6b42d239a42d215343dc34520f1a5d155a0d5e0.jpg)
For what was tabbed as a down week in college football, Week 12 did not disappoint. Here are the weekly superlatives as a part of College Football Blitz.
With a lot of major Power 5 programs playing cupcakes in Week 12 before their major Thanksgiving rivalry games in Week 13, many thought that the college football would take a step back on Saturday.
Though only the No. 5 Louisville Cardinals were upset, Week 12 definitely kept us entertained. The College Football Playoff race is still very confusing, but a few more teams punched their tickets to conference championship games like the Clemson Tigers and the Florida Gators.
Here are the weekly superlatives from Week 12 as a part of College Football Blitz.
Offensive Player of the Week: Stanford Cardinal RB Christian McCaffrey
Here’s a familiar name. The Stanford Cardinal’s star junior running back Christian McCaffrey had his best game of the 2016 college football season. Stanford has had its issues offensively in 2016, but McCaffrey was a huge reason the Cardinal were able to sink the arch rival California Golden Bears on the road Saturday night.
McCaffrey had 284 rushing yards on 31 carries for three rushing touchdowns. He would also have four catches for 22 yards and one punt return for 11 yards. Overall, McCaffrey had 317 all-purpose yards on 36 touches for three touchdowns.
Without McCaffrey, do the Cardinal beat Cal at Berkley on Saturday? Stanford would win 45-31 over Cal to improve to 8-3 on the year. McCaffrey’s 18 total points on the ground were ultimately the difference in the game.
Stanford isn’t playing for more than maybe an outside chance at a Rose Bowl this year. McCaffrey could go pro after his junior season in Palo Alto. After his stellar sophomore campaign in 2015, one could easily argue that he’s ready to play on Sundays in the NFL.